Arizona Cardinals fear Tyrann Mathieu suffered ACL injury in win over Rams

Dec 9, 2013, 1:51 AM | Updated: 1:51 am

Arizona Sports

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Tyrann Mathieu’s storybook rookie season has taken a turn for the worse.

“The only injury that I know right now is Tyrann,” Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said after his team’s 30-10 win over the St. Louis Rams. “It appears to be an ACL. We don’t know for sure, but that’s the only one that’s severe enough to report right now.”

Mathieu was tackled awkwardly while returning a safety kick from Rams punter Johnny Hekker in the third quarter. He lost five yards on the play, and fell to the ground while trying to jog off the field after the whistle blew. He stayed there for some time before being carted away with a left knee injury.

Mathieu was not available in the locker room for comment.

Should Mathieu have suffered an ACL injury, his season would most definitely be over and 2014 training camp would also be in question. It would put an end to a magical run for the rookie, who went from being out of football in 2012 to a possible NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2013. Arians thinks Mathieu is a lock for the award.

But to see it all end on a play where Patrick Peterson, the team’s normal punt returner, was supposed to receive the ball was frustrating for the coach.

“I just wish that he’d (Rams punter Johnny Hekker) kicked that damn ball to Patrick,” Arians said.

If this is indeed the last we’ll see of Mathieu this season, he will end the campaign with 68 tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble and nine passes defensed.

“We’ll wait and see, I think that’s just the early prognosis of the exam that we have right now,” Arians said of whether or not Mathieu is definitely done for the year. “He’ll go through the MRI and all the rest of the tests.

“Let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

At this point, that’s all the Cardinals can do,

“That’s tough, that’s so tough,” defensive end Calais Campbell said of the injury prognosis for his teammate. “In this game, that’s the worst part about it. It happens. I wish him a speedy recovery if that’s the case, and I know he’ll bounce back strong.”

That will be the trick. For a player who has lived a fairly charmed season, an injury like this could go a long way toward derailing a potentially outstanding career. At 21, Mathieu’s future appears to be bright, but he’s never really had to deal with something like this.

“It was tough, you don’t want to see anybody get injured,” fellow rookie Andre Ellington said. “He’s a friend of mine and I’m going to encourage him throughout the offseason and make sure he gets that out of his mind and understands that he’s got to go to work. He’s got to get back to where he was before and be better than ever.”

Mathieu tweeted after the injury:

I KNOW MY BROTHERS GOT MY BACK.. #Birdgang ! I'm with y'all every step of the way !

— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) December 8, 2013

I appreciate everyone prayers. We go through things in life to test our faith & strength..

— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) December 9, 2013

Follow @theAdamGreen

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, left, catches a 4-yard pass for a touchdown as St. Louis Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins defends during the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, bottom, fumbles the ball as he is sacked for a 7-yard loss by St. Louis Rams defensive end Robert Quinn during the first quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. The Cardinals recovered the fumble. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford throws during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd is congratulated by teammate Larry Fitzgerald (11) after catching a 44-yard pass as St. Louis Rams safety T.J. McDonald, left, looks on during the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd, right, catches a 44-yard pass as St. Louis Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan defends during the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu, right, knocks the ball out of the hands of St. Louis Rams tight end Jared Cook after Cook caught a 47-yard pass during the first quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. Cardinals' Karlos Dansby recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchback. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer throws during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

St. Louis Rams tight end Jared Cook, left, dives into the end zone after catching a 16-yard pass for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals safety Yeremiah Bell defends during the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

St. Louis Rams tight end Jared Cook celebrates after catching a 16-yard pass for a touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL football game as Arizona Cardinals safeties Rashad Johnson (26) and Yeremiah Bell (37) stand on the field on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

St. Louis Rams running back Zac Stacy, left, runs with the ball for a 4-yard gain as Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu, right, defends during the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

St. Louis Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson runs with the ball after intercepting a pass by Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer and running it back 29-yards before being pushed out of bounds during the third quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

Rams quarterback Sam Bradford lofts a pass near the outstretched arms of Arizona defensive tackle Dan Williams during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Robert Cohen)

Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Dan Williams, center, returns an interception for a touchdown as teammates Jasper Brinkley (52) and Karlos Dansby, right, watch during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, left, catches a 24-yard pass for a touchdown as St. Louis Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan defends during the third quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald celebrates after catching a 24-yard pass for a touchdown during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, left, catches a 24-yard pass for a touchdown as St. Louis Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan and safety Rodney McLeod (23) defend during the third quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

St. Louis Rams tight end Jared Cook (89) celebrates after catching a 1-yard pass for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford celebrates after scoring a two-point conversion during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, center, fumbles as he is hit by St. Louis Rams defensive end Robert Quinn, left, and defensive end William Hayes watches during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. The Rams recovered the fumble. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

St. Louis Rams wide receiver Brian Quick (83) carries a 16-yard pass down to the 1-yard line during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

St. Louis Rams placekicker Greg Zuerlein boots a 48-yard field goal during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

St. Louis Rams placekicker Greg Zuerlein (4) is congratulated by teammates Johnny Hekker, left, Chris Williams (65) and Matt Conrath, right, after booting a 48-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. The Rams won 27-24. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

St. Louis Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins hops onto linebacker James Laurinaitis as they celebrate as time expires during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris Lee)

Rams head coach Jeff Fisher calls to his players during a timeout during an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Robert Cohen)

Arizona Cardinals players try to block St. Louis Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein's game-winning 48-yard field goal during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris Lee)

Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett sits on the bench following a 27-24 loss to the St. Louis Rams in an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.